All We'll Ever Need
by LLF
Summary: Susan, Chuck, Susie and Cosmo... a family comes together.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own 'ER' . I just happen to love the characters it has given us.**_

Susan Lewis sighed heavily as she opened her car door and stepped out in the late summer sun. It had been a long day at the hospital. She was looking forward to a quiet evening at home. Right now she was picking her son up at his day care center. She glanced toward the fenced play area and smiled. She looked for Cosmo amongst the children and staff. Her smile faded. Where was he? She hurried into the center's brightly painted front door. The director was waiting for her at the counter. Cosmo was sitting in a chair behind her, happily coloring with markers. He looked up when he heard the door open and then his smile faded when he saw Susan. He hopped down from his chair and hid under the receptionist's desk.

"Oh no," Susan sighed. "What now?" Olivia Brannick glanced back at Cosmo and then turned to Susan.

"We had another biting incident this afternoon," she said. 'That's the fourth one this month." Susan shook her head and scowled in disappointment at Cosmo, who was peeking out from under the desk at her. He growled at her and hid his face again.

"I'm very sorry, Dr. Lewis," Olivia continued. "Parents are beginning to complain. I am afraid you are going to have to make other day care arrangements for Cosmo. At least until he gets over these biting issues."

"I understand," Susan said and fumbled as she gathered up the envelope and papers that were on the counter for her. Olivia handed her a bag that contained her son's things and then opened the half door at the counter.

"Come on, Cosmo," Olivia said as she lifted him from under the desk. "Time to go home with Mommy."

"Don't wanna go home with her," he struggled to free himself. "Her's mad!"

"I'm not mad, Cosmo," Susan reassured him as she took him in one arm and struggled with the bag in the other. "We'll talk about this at home with Daddy."

Susan carried him out to the car and buckled him safely in his car seat. She got in and turned on the CD player. She didn't really hear the Wiggles music any more when it played. Cosmo loved it though. Her thoughts were racing. What were they going to do now? Chuck had just gone back to work at the hospital because they'd decided that Cosmos needed to be around other children and with the new house, they needed the extra money. They had searched high and low for a good daycare that they could afford. What now?

Chuck's car was parked in the driveway when they got home and Cosmo raced for the back yard as soon as he was free from the car seat. Susan followed him through the garage door to the patio in back. Chuck was busy at the grill.

"Hey...Starman!" Chuck exclaimed as Cosmo threw himself at his knees and hugged him. Chuck stepped back from the barbecue grill and tossed his son into the air. He hugged him and then set him down. Cosmo raced off toward his swingset. Chuck's eyes met Susan's and he reached into an ice bucket on the picnic table and pulled out an open bottle of beer. Susan sighed and dropped into one of the deck chairs.

"I know... I know," Chuck said as he turned back to the chicken he was grilling. "'There was a message on the answering machine." She shook her head and watched her son climbing up the side of the swing set to the top of the slide.

"That Sammy kid is just a pansy anyway..." Chuck muttered under his breath.

"Chuck!" Susan groaned. "Doesn't it bother you that our son has been ridden out on a rail? From DAYCARE? He's three years old, for cripes sake!"

"It's not that big of a deal," he said as he turned the meat. "There are lots of other places. He just wasn't happy there."

"We looked at them all, Chuck," she said. "This one was the best, remember?" Chuck sighed and sat in the lounge chair next to her. He took her beer and drank from it before handing it back to her. He chuckled and gestured toward the swing set.

"Look at him, Susan," he said. "We made that." Cosmos stood at the top of his slide and threw his arms out wide. He plopped down on the slide backwards and tumbled down toward the grass at the bottom. Susan gasped and started to rise but Cosmo stood up, brushed his bottom off, shook out his straight sandy blonde hair and with a huge smile ran to climb up the side of the swing set again. Apparently he didn't like the slide's ladder today. Susan threw her head back and laughed. Chuck leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"He's perfect," Chuck said.

"Yeah..." she agreed and giggled as Chuck kissed her lips. She pulled away as her cell phone rang.

"Don't answer that..." he groaned and reached out to hold her.

"Come on, Chuck..." she wheedled. "It might be Chicago. Abby is due any minute now." Susan laughed as he sighed heavily and sat back in his chair. She took the phone out of her pocket and pushed the buttons.

"Hello?" she said. "Yes, this is Susan Lewis...what? Oh my god..." Chuck looked at her as she reached for his hand. The color had drained from her face.

"Susan?" he said as he sat up straight. Susan squeezed his hand and her eyes filled with tears.

"It's Joe," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chuck sat next to the suitcase on their bed and watched as Susan packed it with her things. She stopped for a moment and gazed worriedly at Cosmo who slept soundly next to him.

"Don't worry," Chuck said. "We'll be fine." She smiled at him and turned to go into the bathroom. She came out with a small makeup case and her hairbrush.

"I know you will," she said and kissed him. She tucked the makeup case into the suitcase and looked around to see if she'd forgotten anything.

"I wish you were flying," he shook his head and leaned back against the head board.

"I don't know what I am going to have to bring back with us," Susan sighed. "Besides, a little road trip might give the two of us a chance to reconnect a little bit." She dropped down onto the bed.

"I can't believe it's been four years since I have seen her," she sighed sadly. "Too long."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Chuck comforted her as he reached up to massage her neck. "Joe is the one that moved her to Toledo...and New York before that. You sent presents and called now and then." Susan scoffed and looked at him.

"That's not enough..." she said. "Especially now." Chuck pulled her gently down into his arms and held her as the tears began to flow again. He kissed the top of her head. She turned in his arms and watched Cosmo sleep again. She reached out to brush his thick, stick straight hair away from his face and tucked the sheet around him again. He snorted and rubbed his nose before throwing the sheet off again. Susan smiled.

"Well, we will concentrate on turning that extra bedroom into a bedroom again and not a storeroom," Chuck said softly. "It will be ready by the time you get home." Susan sat up again.

"She may have her own things to bring," she said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Don't go overboard." Chuck shook his head.

"Nah...just a bed and dresser...some black lights...neon posters...," he said. Susan turned and hit him with a pillow.

"Chuck, she is twelve years old," she chuckled softly. "Don't rush things." Susan stood up and closed the suitcase. She sighed.

"Well, I think I have everything," she said. Chuck moved off the bed and picked up her suitcase. Susan leaned over and kissed her son's cheek and frowned a little. She was going to miss him. She followed Chuck through the house to the garage. He put her suitcase in the back of her red Aztec and shut the door. Susan buckled her seat belt and looked out the open window at Chuck. He gestured to the box he'd put on the passenger seat.

"There's some apples and caffeine to keep you going," he said.

"Thanks."

"Be careful." Chuck leaned in to kiss her. Susan smiled and held her hand to his cheek for a long moment and then started the car. As she pulled out of the garage into the night he kissed his fingers and waved to her. Susan waved back and he shut the garage door.

It was a seven hour drive from Iowa City to Toledo across three states. Fortunately for her it was a straight shot on the interstate highways. She debated about stopping in Chicago to see her dad but decided to wait until the drive back. She needed to talk to him anyway...about Chloe...and Susie.

Susie. Her namesake. The baby she had been there for at birth and after when her mother had left her behind. They had made quite a little life for themselves in the beginning, snags and all. Then Chloe had returned with Joe and the court had seen fit to return custody to them. Susan had been devastated with Susie gone from her life. But then she moved to Phoenix to be closer to them and had gone from surrogate motherhood to being just 'Aunt Susan'. Chloe was doing so well when Susan decided to return to Chicago. She still wasn't sure what had precipitated the downward spiral that happened after. Joe moved the family to New Jersey to be closer to his extended family and Chloe disappeared one day with Susie. Susan had gotten a telephone call from her niece and rushed to New York only to be dragged through some of the seamier drug hangouts with the police looking for her. She never found Susie but soon got word from Joe that Susie was safe...and with him. Chloe had apparently dropped her off at a nearby McDonald's, called him and then disappeared again. Joe had been great about allowing Susan to have access to her niece. Chuck was right. She had tried. There had been telephone calls on her birthday and other holidays, gifts and an occasional letter with school pictures. It still wasn't enough but there was only so much you could do when you lived so far away. She should have tried harder to actually see her when they moved to Toledo but then there had been her job...and then Chuck...and Cosmo.

It was so hard to believe that with everything she had already been through, Susie's world had flipped upside down again. This time Joe was gone. Susan had talked to his sister. He was a heart attack waiting to happen. He'd gone suddenly while Susie was in summer school and she'd found him on the livingroom floor when she came home. They weren't going to have a funeral...just a memorial service when they could get his body back to New Jersey. Susan was Susie's guardian now and would she please come and get her as soon as possible. Just like that. As soon as possible. Susan shook her head. What kind of family was that for a little girl? She sighed. Probably no better than the family that couldn't make time to be closer to her. Well, that was about to change. Susie was coming home.


	3. Chapter 3

Susan found the exit number and followed the directions that Joe's sister had given her. She found the neighborhood and finally the house. She sat outside for a long time and just looked up at the small two story set in the middle of a close neighborhood of houses exactly the same. It was only 8:30 in the morning. She'd been driving all night. She was a mess. Finally she worked up her nerve and got out of the car. She brushed her wrinkled slacks and straightened her light summer sweater as she made her way up the sidewalk. She rang the front doorbell and waited. The door was opened almost immediately by an older heavy set woman with long blonde hair.

"Susan?" she asked. Susan nodded and the woman opened the door further. "Come on in. I'm Cindy, Joe's sister." Susan stepped inside the modestly furnished livingroom. There were boxes packed and stacked and others ready to be filled.

"Well, I am glad you're here," Cindy said as she led Susan to the back of the house where the kitchen was. "Susie is at her summer school class. I told her she didn't have to go but she insisted. Something about a test she couldn't make up? She'll be home around noon. Can I get you some coffee? Some breakfast?"

"Oh no...thank you," Susan said as she stretched a bit. "I drove straight through so I am afraid I am coffee-ed out. Can I use the bathroom?"

"The big one is upstairs," Cindy said. "I can get you some towels if you'd like to take a shower or something."

"That would be so great," Susan sighed. Cindy nodded and headed back through the livingroom to the staircase. Susan stopped her.

"I'm so sorry about Joe," she said quietly. Cindy shrugged.

"We weren't close," she said. "He'd kind of cut himself off from everyone for a while. My mother helped him rent this house so that's why I'm here. She couldn't come herself."

"Ahh..." Susan nodded.

"The realtor wants us out by the weekend," she said as she headed up the stairs. Susan watched her go and then went to get her bag from the car.

She showered, changed, and then fell asleep on the couch in the den. All night driving had exhausted her. She slept for a couple of hours.

Later, Susan came awake slowly. She reached up and rubbed her nose a bit and yawned. Her eyes opened and she yelped in surprise. A young girl sat hunched over on a stool close to the couch, staring at her, with her elbows on her blue jeaned knees and her chin on her hands. She looked slight, wore black rimmed skinny glasses and had her wavy hair pulled up into a frowzy top knot. It was the hair that held Susan's interest. It was impossible to judge the natural color. It was a mass of neon pink, blue and purple streaks.

"Su...Susie?" Susan stammered. The girl blinked and stood up.

"You drool when you sleep," she said as she tugged at the minuscule straps of her sleeveless black top. She cast another disapproving glance at Susan and left the room.

"Oh...this is going to be...interesting," Susan said softly as she sat up and rubbed her face.

Interesting wasn't the word for it. Susie had proven to be a very resourceful, if incommunicative, girl. She knew where all Joe's important paperwork was, including her own birth certificate and custody papers. There was little in the house that they had actually owned. It had been rented fully furnished. Cindy would be taking the television and the few family mementos back to New Jersey. Susan made room for just four boxes of Susie's things in the back of her car.

They left Toledo late Thursday afternoon. Susie had insisted on attending one last session of her summer school class. Again, it was because of a test she couldn't make up. She'd packed her own things and Susan was surprised by how little she wanted to move with her. Her room was fairly spartan...a sharp contrast to Susan's bedroom at twelve.

It was a nice day to be traveling. The windows were down and the sun roof open. They played war with the radio dials for a while. Susan had never felt that she was a prude when it came to music but the lyrics in the rap music Susie preferred were a bit much. Susie finally just opened her laptop and put a headset on. So much for road trip bonding.

Susan had phoned a ahead so her dad was waiting for them to arrive. He eyed Susie warily all through dinner. She'd refused the steak,was picking at a salad and returning his glances furtively. Actually Susan had gotten used to the technicolor hair and black clothing. She had only observed four piercings and all of them were in Susie's ears. There was a tattoo on her lower back that had worried her for a bit but now it appeared to be a temporary one. Susan had a feeling that the persona Susie was trying toconvey wasmore foreign to herthan it was to Susan.

"You are going to have your hands full with that one," her dad chuckled softlyafter Susie had gone upstairs to bed.

"As full as yours were with both Chloe and I?" Susan laughed. Her dad sighed happily.

"You weren't so bad."

"Have you heard anything from her at all, Dad?" He shook his head.

"I hate having her out there not knowing what's happened."

"Is it as bad as us not knowing where the hell _she_ is?" Susan shrugged. Her dad reached across the table and took her hand in his.

"Forget about Chloe," he said. 'Just forget her." Susan nodded and fingered the coffee cup in front of her.

"Can you entertain Susie for a while in the morning?" she asked. "I have a friend I need to see." Her dad nodded. Susan stood up and kissed him on the forehead.

"I think I am going to call Chuck and then turn in," she said and headed toward the livingroom.

"Susie," her dad said. Susan turned around.

"What the hell kind of breakfast does a...vegan...eat?" he asked. Susan laughed and rolled her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Susan took her time driving through the city. While she loved her life in Iowa, there were still things she missed about Chicago. She drove down Michigan Avenue, along the lake shore, by the park, the museums and even past the ambulance bay at County. She saw Chuny and Neela heading in to work from the el station. Fortunately, they hadn't seen her. She didn't know if she was up to a real visit to the old haunt quite yet. Sometime soon...but not quite yet.

Finding their new home wasn't difficult. Susan parked her car and made her way up the steps to the front door of the building. A doorman buzzed the apartment and then let Susan in.

Luka was waiting for her with their door open. He looked tired but was grinning broadly and held a tiny wrapped bundle at his shoulder.

"Where is your niece?" he asked.

"Probably making her grandfather crazy teaching him how to make 'vegan' pancakes," Susan laughed. "Come on, Kovac. Hand her over!" Luka grinned even wider and carefully shifted the baby into Susan's waiting arms. He led her into the apartment and toward a carved wooden rocker by the front window. Susan sat down and took a moment to look at the baby in her arms.

"Ooohhh...my god," she sighed. "She is...beautiful." Luka leaned over and tucked the blanket away from the baby's folded hands and sighed. Susan took note of the splint on his little finger.

"What happened there?" she asked. Luka shrugged.

"It's broken," he said. 'No big deal." His eyes met Susan's and he chuckled happily. She shook her head and grinned. The baby slept peacefully but wrinkled her straight dark brows when Susan ran a finger through the long, whispery soft hair that fell across her forehead. Then there was a pout. The brows and hair were all Luka...but the pout was pure Abby. Susan giggled softly.

"Where's Abby?" she whispered. Luka looked up suddenly.

"I forgot. She's in the shower," he said. "I'll go see if she needs some help and then it's my turn." He pressed a kiss to the baby's head and then was gone. Susan giggled and shifted the baby so she could look at her more closely.

"Hello, Miss Lauren," she said softly and played with the lace collar on the pink sleeper. ""I am Aunt Susan. You and I need to have a very serious talk about your Dad. He is totally besotted with you and you must learn to take advantage of that very carefully." Susan pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's cheek and took a good, long whiff of the enchanting new baby smell. She tucked the baby back into her elbow and rocked slowly.

"Getting acquainted?" Abby asked as she came out of the bedroom in her bathrobe. Susan looked up at her and grinned.

"Damn, you do good work," she said. Abby laughed and pulled a chair from the table next to the rocker. She sat down and smiled at her daughter tucked into Susan's arms. Susan looked up suddenly and laughed.

"You broke his finger?" she asked. Abby rolled her eyes and nodded. Susan giggled again.

"That's what I call a pay back," she said. Susan leaned back and sighed.

"Oh...I envy you right now," she said. "I could just sit here all day and hold her. Enjoy it, Abby. It doesn't last long."

"How are things going with Susie?" Abby asked. Susan shrugged and continued to rock.

"Okay, I guess," she said. "It's a little weird though. She doesn't seem to be grieving or anything. I mean, Joe was her primary care giver for the last four years and she hasn't said a word about him."

"And then you appear out of no where and whisk her off to Iowa," Abby said. "Any reactions to that?" Susan shook her head.

"None," she said. "'Unless you want to count the technicolor hair job but I am not sure if that's something new or something she has always had. And then there's the tattoo..." She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. "...the likes of which you are NEVER go to have by the way." Abby laughed and Lauren's lips started to quiver.

"Uh oh..." Susan sighed. "I think my little taste of heaven is over. Wanna switch?" Abby nodded and stood up carefully. Susan let her settle in the rocker and then reluctantly handed her the crying baby. Abby opened the front of her robe and guided Lauren to a full breast. Susan grinned as the crying stopped immediately. She reached for one of the clean cloths stacked on a table nearby and handed it to Abby. Abby tucked it under the baby's chin and then folded her robe closer around them both.

"See...you were so worried about all this and you're a natural!" Susan exclaimed softly. Abby chuckled.

"It's been two whole days, Susan.".

"One step at a time, sweetie," Susan said as she settled in her chair to watch the baby nurse. "One step at a time."


	5. Chapter 5

One step at a time. One thing at a time. One small moment at a time. Susan was trying very hard to follow her own advice. She nudged Susie as she pulled the car toward the Iowa City exit. The girl slipped her head phones down and looped them around her neck. She snapped the screen down on her laptop computer and sat up straighter in the front seat. Wow...she was actually showing some interest in where she was going to be living for a change. Susan had tried to talk to her about Chuck...about Cosmo...about her job. Susie had been very uninterested. Any questions about Joe, about her friends andher summer school class had gone basically unanswered. For the most part, she was uncommunicative. Then in the next minute they would get into an animated debate about the music Susie insisted on choosing from the radio. Susan was basically told that she had an 'antiquated' idea of what good music was. Oh yes...this was going to be a very interesting ride.

Chuck and Cosmo were waiting on the front steps of the house when she pulled in to the driveway. Chuck had a firm grip on the back of the little boy's tee shirt until the car came to a complete stop. Cosmo dashed around the car to Susan's side and was bouncing up and down until she opened the door. He threw himself into Susan's arms and hugged her tightly around the neck.

"Mommy!" he squealed. Susan laughed and squeezed him tightly.

"I missed you, little man," she sighed and kissed his cheek. Susan got out of the car and shifted her son to her hip. She carried him around to the front sidewalk of the house. Susie had gotten out of the passenger side and stood uncertainly by the door. Chuck waved and sauntered down the walk. He wrapped his arm around Susan and Cosmo and kissed her.

"Glad you're home, babe," he said softly. Susan smiled and touched his cheek

"Me too," she said. Cosmo twisted and curiously eyed Susie who still stood by the car. He squirmed and Susan set him down on the ground. He took a couple of steps toward her and eyed her closely.

"Cosmo," Susan said. "This is Susie."

"Cool name," Susie said approvingly as she stared down at him. Cosmo frowned a little bit as he looked up at her. Susie returned his gaze as he took in her black jeans with the heavy chain belt and black tee shirt. She adjusted her glasses and crossed her arms across her chest defensively.

"I like yo hair," he nodded finally. "It's a rainbow." Susie smiled and held her hand up in a high five salute. Cosmo slapped it and then took her hand. He pulled her toward the house past Susan and Chuck.

"Yeah," Susan said as they moved past her. "I should have known that you two desperados would connect. You have a lot in common. He's **already** been kicked out of one daycare."

"No kidding!" Susie nodded happily. She looked down at him and grinned. Chuck watched them go into the house and then looked at Susan.

"Ummm...interesting kid," he nodded. Susan laughed and hugged him.

"Are you ready for this? I mean, a teenager?" Chuck shrugged and then grinned as he kissed her.

"I am ready for anything as long as I have you by my side." Susan laughed as he swept her into his arms and dipped her low in a romantic dance move.

"Ow! Ow...ow!" he cried suddenly and Susan laughed and pulled herself upright again. Chuck grabbed his side and she helped him limp toward the front steps laughing all the way.

One step at a time. One thing at a time. It took Susie no time at all to unpack her things. One box of clothes. One box of books on a bookshelf. One box shoved into the back of her closet. She looked seriously out of place in the butter yellow painted room with lace curtains. She didn't seem to mind too much. It looked as if she were just 'parked' for a while. Chuck had arranged his work schedule around Susan's so they were working different shifts and could dispense with the whole daycare issue for a few weeks. Aside from the fact that they didn't see much of each other, it was working out for them. The few times when they didn't cross paths, Susie stepped in and babysat Cosmo for an hour. Susan had to admit that watching the two of them interact was a lot of fun. Cosmo adored Susie and followed her like a little puppy.

"Where is dere face?" Cosmo said one evening at the dinner table as he examined his sliced hot dog.

"Face?" Susan asked him.

"Do hot dogs have a face?" he asked as he plunged a piece into his ketchup and popped it in his mouth.

"No..." Susan said. "Where would you get an idea like that?" Susie slumped deeply into her chair and scowled at him.

"Susie don't eat stuff with faces and her don't eat hot dogs," he said as he shook his head. "Where is dere face?" Susan turned to Susie and shook her head.

"Susie likes vegetables more than she likes hot dogs, sweetie," she said. "So you need to eat yours too." Cosmo nodded and picked up a green bean and examined it carefully.

"Do green beanies have a face?" he asked. Susan rolled her eyes.

"You are SO dead..." she said quietly to Susie. Susie shrugged.

"Oh, by the way," Susan said. "You and I have a meeting with the principal of the middle school tomorrow morning. They have your records from Toledo and want to talk to us about a schedule for you."

"Tomorrow?" Susie exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something before this?"

"Hey...I just got the call myself this afternoon. We're lucky that tomorrow is my day off." Susan looked at her and sighed. "I don't suppose you have a dress or something hanging in that closet of yours, do you? I mean, first impressions mean a lot some times."

Susie scoffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"I refuse to wear a dress," Susie said. "Even if I did own one, I wouldn't wear it. It is SO like you people to think wearing a dress is going to make me any different than I really am." She stood up from the table and stomped off toward the staircase and her bedroom. Cosmo looked at Susan with wide green eyes. She sighed and picked up a forkful of green beans.

"This is pitiful," she sighed. "I am way too young to be considered _you people, _aren't I?" Cosmo laughed and dipped another piece of hot dog into his ketchup.


	6. Chapter 6

"Susie!" Susan called up the stairs for the third time. "Get down here **now**. We're going to be late!" Susan looked at Chuck and sighed. He was still wearing his scrubs from the hospital.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay with him?" she asked. 'You look exhausted."

"I'll be fine till you get home," Chuck said. "I'll put the Barney video in and we'll watch it together." Susan shook her head.

"He'll watch it and you'll be sleeping."

"Yeah...and tell me you haven't done the same thing on occasion," Chuck shrugged with a smile.

"Susie!" she called again. Susie came bounding down the stairs in a khaki skort, a sherbert orange polo shirt and leather sandals. Her wavy shoulder length hair was a decidedly lighter shade of red than Susan's and was held off her face with a slender elastic headband. The ever present black framed glasses were the only thing about her that looked the same.

"I'm ready," she said as she hurried to the front door and opened it. She turned back to Susan and Chuck who were watching her with dumbfounded expressions.

"I'm sorry I needed to borrow the box of hair coloring from your bathroom," she said. 'You didn't give me enough warning to get something in my own shade...but this is close enough." Susan turned her head to meet Chuck's eyes.

"Come on, Aunt Susan," Susie insisted. "What was it you were saying to me about first impressions last night? What kind of an impression will we make if we're late?" She hurried out the door and Susan kissed Chuck good by in shock before following her chameleon of a niece.

Given the surprisingly new look, Susan should have expected a few more revelations as the meeting progressed...but no...she was caught totally by surprise...again.

"I'm very sorry, Dr. Lewis, but I needed to see you because I'm not sure that Harton Middle School is going to be able to meet the educational needs of your niece," the principal of the school was saying.

Susan sat up straighter in the chair across from him.

"What?" she said, " She's a seventh grader. Surely you have some sort of remedial program already in place."

"Remedial?" He looked at Susie who slumped even lower in her chair. Mr. Braden turned the file around on his desk so Susan could read it.

"Susie was attending a magnet school in Toledo," he said. "She already has several advanced placement credits on her transcript."

"You were in summer school!" Susan exclaimed as she turned to look at her niece. Susie sat up in her chair.

"Yes. I've gone every summer since I was eight. "

"For what?" Susan asked. Susie sighed.

"Well, they wouldn't let me take calculus until I took Algebra II so I was doing that in summer school...but I think I am going to have to repeat it anyway since I couldn't finish the last two weeks," she said. "Last summer I took Geometry...and the summer before that a class where we dissected and rewrote Shakespearean plays. I did 'MacBeth'." Susan's mouth dropped open. She looked at her niece for a long moment and then turned to Mr. Braden with asmile.

"Okay," she said calmly. "So what would you suggest that we do?" He pulled the file back and then sat back in his chair.

"St. Alyosis has a couple of slots available to us for students like Susie," he said.

"Catholic school? Like with...uniforms?" Susie exclaimed. "That is SO not going to happen!"

"Well, the good news is that your Algebra II teacher has agreed to give you a passing credit for the summer school class you were taking. Apparently you aced the special final exam he gave you the last day you attended," Mr. Braden said.

"Oh...sweet!" Susie grinned.

"How much is this...other school...going to cost?" Susan asked. Mr. Braden picked up a flyer about St. Alyosis and handed it to Susan.

"Since we need to have her attend because our district cannot produce a program for her, the tuition costs will be picked up by us," he said. "You would have to provide her uniform and any other extra fees."

Susan flipped through the flyer. Private school. All girl academy. This was looking better and better.

"After she officially finishes middle school and can attend our high school program she will be eligible for other advanced placement classes there and could maybe attend some community college classes in lieu of actual high school classes," Mr. Braden said. "It's something to think about down the road. You have a real treasure on your hands, Dr. Lewis." Susan looked up at him and then at Susie. The girl scowled and shook her head in disgust.

"Yes...well...um...what do we need to do to get the ball rolling here?" Susan asked. "School starts in a week, right?" Mr. Braden picked up the telephone.

"I'll call the school and see if they can see you this afternoon," he said. Susan turned to look at her niece very pointedly.

"I am NOT wearing a uniform," Susie said firmly. "I need my identity."

"Yeah...well...we'll find you some interesting underwear," Susan smiled.

"Parochial school?" Abby said later on the telephone. "Please tell me she is not wearing something plaid."

"Oh...yeah, " Susan said as she examined the school uniform that was laid out on the couch next to her. "Very cute plaid skirt, yellow blouse, red sweater and a navy blazer."

"Ooohhh...poor kid," Abby chuckled. "Does it have a tie?"

"How did you know?" They both laughed.

"Seriously though," Susan said. " I am really mad at her for not telling me about this magnet school thing. I looked like a total dork at the meeting with the principal."

"What was she supposed to say?" Abby said. "You drop back into her life after how many years? Uh...hi, Aunt Susan...I'm a genius? Cut her some slack, Susan."

"Well, at least some conversation about anything at all would be nice, The only one she really talks to is Cosmo." Susan sighed. "This grieving thing is really bothering me. There has been like...nothing."

"Maybe she doesn't have anything to grieve about," Abby said.

"Are you thinking...some kind of...attachment disorder?" Susan asked. Abby laughed.

"We sound like two doctors discussing a patient," she said. "It's different when it's your own, isn't it?" Susan sighed.

"Actually she has been great. Maybe a little **too** great."

"What was it you told me?" Abby scolded. "Something about not _looking_ for problems?" Susan chuckled.

"You know, that's the second time today that I have heard my own words from someone else's lips. I think I'd better quit while I am ahead." Abby laughed.

"Okay," she said. "But don't get too comfortable with the parochial school restrictions. Remember, that's where I was when I met Howie."

"Oh god...no!" Susan shrieked as she remembered their 'virginity game' revelations from years before. Abby laughed.

"So it IS a good thing that this in an all girls' school? Abby just laughed.

"Time will tell..." she said. "I'll talk to you later." Susan nodded and hung up the phone.


	7. Chapter 7

The first day of school... As she pulled into the busy drop off drive of Susie's new school, she remembered her own jitters and excitement of the first days in the past. She pulled the car to a stop and looked back at Susie in the back seat with Cosmo.

"Do you remember how to find your home room?" she asked. Susie nodded and opened the back door. "Chuck will be here to pick you up at the end of the day."Susie climbed out and lifted her backpack of school supplies off the seat. She pointed a finger at Cosmo in his car seat.

"Remember..." Susie said. "Use your words and **no** biting. It's not cool." Cosmo nodded his head furiously, his eyes wide as he watched her close the door. Susan smiled and then sat for a moment as her niece moved into the line of similarly uniformed girls headed into the school building. Susie turned around and threw her a wan smile and small wave.

Chuck and Susie were sitting at the kitchen table when Susan walked in with Cosmo and a bag of groceries at the end of the day.

"Hey, how did it go?" she asked as she set the groceries on the counter. Cosmo climbed into Chuck's lap. Susie looked at her with a gloomy face and sighed.

"That bad?" Susan asked as she sat across from her.

"She has to play a team sport," Chuck said suppressing a smile.

"It's required," Susie said sadly.

"Well, that's a good thing," Susan said. "Kind of inspires development of the _whole_ student, doesn't it?" Chuck shrugged.

"What are your choices?" Susan asked. Susie slid a paper across the table to her.

'Volleyball? Volleyball is good..." Susan said.

"They are all WAY taller than I am," Susie replied.

"Softball?"

"I can't throw."

"Basketball?"

"The height thing..."

"Lacrosse?"

"Get real. Have you seen their equipment? That little ball hurts!"

"Soccer?"

"I'd have to run. I run like a duck." Susie dropped her forehead to the table with a clunk.

"First day of school and I am doomed." she groaned. Susan looked across at Chuck and they both chuckled softly.

"Not necessarily, sweetie," Susan said. "Look, soccer and softball are spring sports. Sign up for one of them and we'll help you get some of those skills together before then." Susie lifted her head and looked at her quizzically.

"You can teach me not to run like a duck?" she said. "I thought it was hereditary?" Susan grimaced.

"Sports aside, how did the rest of your day go?" she asked. "Make any friends?"

"No...not yet." Susie said. "That always takes a while for me to do. I am kind of...socially inept." She sat up straighter. "I am going to totally love my physics class! And calculus rocks. I knew that it would." She was thoughtful for a moment and then frowned.

"You know, I can't be the only one with this sports issue thing," she said. "Maybe I **will** sign up for a spring sport. That will give me lots of time to organize a protest."

"Susie!" Susan scolded. "It's your first day there."

"Aunt Susan," she said as she stood up. "Some people are meant to be players and some people are meant to watch. It's time people understood that." She turned on her heel, hitched the yellow blouse out of the band of her plaid skirt and stalked out of the kitchen. Cosmo climbed down from Chuck's lap and trotted after her. Chuck watched them go and turned to smile at Susan.

"She is so damned cute," he said. Susan rolled her eyes.

"You think so?" she sighed and rested her forehead in her hands. "I am hearing the telephone ring with a summons to the principal's office...already! Chuck, what just happened here?" Chuck laughed and stood up. He circled the table and kissed the top of Susan's head.

"We have witnessed the birth of a 'movement', babe," he said. "Now, do you want to make the salad or should I?" Susan slumped back in her chair and shook her head.


	8. Chapter 8

Susan waited on pins and needles for a call to come from school but the entire month of September passed without incident. They were all settling into a nice routine. Her job was challenging and Chuck loved his work. Cosmo was doing well in daycare and Susie made a friend.

They were two peas in a pod except for the fact that Heather attended the public middle school. Susie tutored her in Math and Heather taught Susie to ride a bike. They were both voracious readers and would hole up in Susie's room with a stack of books and the radio blaring. Usually Cosmo was stretched out on the floor as well, with his own books to look at. There were sleep over weekends and visits to the mall. Then they started a tutoring business together. Heather drew in the neighborhood kids and Susie banked their money. Heather's mother loved the friendship as much as Susan did.

In October, Cosmo was invited to his very first birthday party. It was a fiasco from the start. First he refused to eat the clown cupcake because it 'had a face'. Then he punched another little boy in the stomach for refusing 'to use his words'. Susan was mortified but the other moms there laughed it off. They called him a 'charmer' and Susan finally had to agree. At least he hadn't bitten anyone.

His admiration of Susie continued and Susan loved the fact that they got along so well. He never seemed to ruffle Susie until one Saturday afternoon in late October. Susie was working on physics project with Susan at the kitchen table when he climbed into a chair next to her.

Susie stared at the old Barbie doll in Cosmos' hands.

"Where did you get that?" she demanded angrily. Cosmos' face fell and he dropped the doll to the floor.

"In a box," he said. Susie picked the doll up and shook it in his face.

"That's my private stuff, Cosmo," she said sternly. "Don't ever touch that box again." Cosmo's big eyes filled with tears and he grabbed Susan around the neck in panic. Susie stared at him angrily and then stood up and stomped off to her room. Cosmo started to wail and Susan picked him up in her arms and hugged him.

"Where was the box?" she asked him. Cosmo continued to wail and hugged Susan tight. She sat in the chair and held him close until he calmed down. She gave him a juice box and sat him in front of his favorite video before going up the stairs to Susie's room.

Susan peeked in and then stepped inside when she didn't see Susie. She looked into the open closet doors. Susie was seated against the back wall with her legs tucked up in front of her. She looked up at Susan for a long moment.

"Want some company?" Susan asked. Susie shrugged and scooted over a bit. Susan sighed and crawled into the closet with her. She peeked into the open box on the other side of Susie.

"He didn't know what he was doing, honey," she said. "He is just a little boy." Susie nodded.

"I know." She took the Barbie from Susie and smiled slightly as she fingered the long ratty tresses. She'dsent it to her for Christmas a long time ago.

"I can't believe you saved this," Susan said.

"They're my things," Susie said.

"Can I look?" Susan asked. Susie looked at her warily for a long moment and then nodded. She moved the box so it was in front of Susan. Susan smiled softly and sifted through the items inside. There was the yellow pacifier Susan had used when Susie was a baby...the baby blanket Susan had quilted for her...a little bear Susan remembered tucking next to her when she was napping...a story book about a caterpillar she used to read to her...a stack of letters in her own handwriting that had been tied with a ribbon...a polo shirt Susan had 'lost'...a bead necklace that Susan remembered giving her for her 5th birthday...a musical jewelry box and a little plastic purse that had held play makeup at one time...again, gifts from Susan. There were a number of photographs... all of Susan and Susie...or Susan alone. There was nothing of Chloe or Joe in the box.

"A shrink would probably tell you that I have a very unhealthy fixation on my aunt," Susie said finally. Susan laughed and carefully placed the pictures back into the box.

"I don't think so," Susan said. She reached over and slipped her arm across Susie's shoulders and hugged her.

"I think a counselor would probably say that you knew you could depend on your aunt to come to the rescue if you ever really needed her," she said. "And that's what I always wanted you to know. I am glad that you did." Susan sat still with her arm around Susie for a long while.

"If my Mom ever came back, would I have to go with her?" Susie asked finally. Susan sighed heavily.

"Not unless it was the right place for you. You're twelve. I think the courts would have to listen to what you wanted to do." Susie nodded. Susan squeezed her tightly and then crawled out of the closet. She hitched herself up again and started to leave the room.

"Aunt Susan?" She turned around and looked at Susie.

"I'll talk to Cosmo about the face thing. I'm not really vegan," Susie said. "Maybe vegetarian **most** of the time...but not vegan." Susan smiled and shrugged.

"Thank you. It wouldn't matter a bit what you are, you know," she said . "As long as you are you." Susie smiled slightly and nodded. Susan grinned and turned to leave the room. She stopped at the bedroom door.

"Oh," Susan said. 'My birthday is coming up and Uncle Chuck and I are talking about taking a weekend to visit Grandpa in Chicago. Maybe you, Abby and I could spend a day shopping. Would you like that?" Susie sat up straight and grinned.

"Yeah..." she said enthusiastically. Susan smiled.

"I'll tell Uncle Chuck it's a go then!"


	9. Chapter 9

Susan stepped off the sidewalk and looked across the road at the ambulance bay. She frowned a bit. Susie tugged at her hand.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked. Susan looked down at her niece's worried smile and grinned. She slipped her arm across Susie's shoulder and hugged her.

"I think so," she said. "'It's hard going back after the way I left but I am glad you're with me."

"So, this is where I was born?" Susie asked as they crossed the street to the doors of the Emergency Room.

"Oh yeah," Susan said. "One very memorable Mother's Day."

"And you delivered me?" Susan looked at her and flashed a huge grin.

"Yeah..." she said. Susie smiled and slipped her arm around Susan's waist in a hug.

There were just a few patients waiting in chairs to be seen. Susan and Susie made their way to the admit desk. Susan smiled.

"Jerry?" she said softly. The big man turned around and grinned.

"Dr. Lewis!" he exclaimed. He moved around the admit desk and wrapped her in a big hug.

"It's good to see you, Jer," she said as he stepped back. "We're looking for Abby?"

"Susan?" Chuny dropped a chart onto the desk and grinned broadly as Susan smiled. They hugged each other.

"You remember my niece, Susie?" Susan said. Jerry and Chuny stared at the girl standing by the desk.

"Chloe's Susie?" Jerry was aghast. "Has it been that long?" Susie smiled and adjusted the sweater that was wrapped over her shoulders.

"She is gorgeous, Susan," Chuny sighed and reached out to touch Susie's hair. "Hey you...I was there when you were born!" Susie grinned.

"Thank you," she said politely. Chuny laughed and drew her into a warm hug. Susan smiled and then looked up as Abby and Luka came down the hall. He was wearing a baby carrier snuggled against his chest.

"There you are!" Susan said as Abby hugged her. "Are you ready to go?" Abby nodded and turned to Luka and kissed the top of Lauren's head.

"Go..." he said. "We'll be fine. As soon as Pratt gets here, I'm leaving. We'll be going right home." His eyes met Susan's. "And we'll be at Susan's dad's for dinner and birthday cake. We 'll meet you there."

"I know but..." Abby started. Susan put her hands on Abby's shoulders and steered her reluctantly away from Luka. She grabbed Susie's hand.

"Have a good time," Luka waved as the three of them left the ER and headed for the el staircase.

Susie stood with her nose pressed against the window of the el train watching the buildings speed by below.

"So, where are we going shopping?" she asked.

"Let's start on Michigan Avenue," Susan said with a satisfied smile. She nudged Abby.

"The kid is loaded," she said. "She makes money tutoring the neighborhood after school. She has this whole little homework club that meets at our kitchen table every night."

"Very innovative," Abby said as she nodded admiringly. Susie just rolled her eyes. "So, are you planning to be a teacher?" Susie shook her head.

"No," she said. "I wouldn't be very good at it. I'd hate assigning homework."

"Which would make you everyone's favorite!" Abby laughed. The train stopped and they went through the open doors of the train to the platform.

"Wherever we go, I am supposed to have us at the Drake at one o'clock," Susie said. Susan stopped on the platform to look at her.

"The Drake?" Susie nodded.

"It's a birthday present from Uncle Chuck," she said. "We have reservations at the Drake for tea." Susan looked at Abby and they grimaced.

"A little too rich for my blood..." she said.

"Uncle Chuck said you would say that but he made me promise..." Susie scolded. "...and I can't break a promise." Susan rolled her eyes and linked her arms through Susie's and Abby's.

"Come on, " she said. "It's my birthday and there is some serious shopping to be done!"

Later, that evening, Abby leaned on the back deck railing as Susan held Lauren and watched Luka with Susie in the small back yard. Chuck was tossing a little football with Cosmo and eyeing them as well.

"I can't do this," Susie moaned as Luka tossed the soccer ball in her general direction.

"You can," he said. "Just remember to use the inside of your foot like I showed you."

"What possible difference can it make if I use my toe or the side of my foot?" Luka stopped moving and straightened.

"Uh...you could break your toe?" Susie looked at him with her hands on her hips and then frowned a little.

"Oh..." she said. "Good reason." Luka laughed and rolled the soccer ball in front of him with his foot and looked at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Susie sighed deeply and nodded. Luka passed the ball to her and she kicked it with the inside of her foot as hard as she could. The ball sailed past Luka and hit the wooden fence behind him. Susie's mouth dropped open and she threw her hands into the air.

"I did it!" she hollered and ran to him. Luka picked her up and swung her around in a hug.

"Come on!" Susie laughed. "Show me something else!" Susan and Abby exchanged smiles as Luka put Susie down and retrieved the ball.

"That is one kid that is definitely taking a _village_ to raise," Susan nodded.

"She's great," Abby said. "She really has her head screwed on straight."

"Yeah...no thanks to Chloe," Susan sighed.

"Maybe it's **all** thanks to Chloe. I mean, how do you think she would have turned out if her mother had been around?"

"Now you are beginning to sound just like her." Abby grinned.

"If she ever opens up an office, I will be the first in line for an appointment," she said. "That whole philosophy on life thing that she told me about when we were at the hotel...'Use it or lose it''?" Susan laughed and nodded.

"From one of her...'television shrinks'?" she said. Abby shrugged.

"It makes so much sense. 'Use the good things you get from people and lose the rest.' I wonder how it would have helped me when I was her age?" Susan sighed and kissed the top of the sleeping baby's head.

'Yeah...well...you didn't turn out so bad," she said. Abby smiled softly.

"It's been a long, hard road, though," she said as she watched Luka with a soft smile. "I don't think I have reached the end of it quite yet...but I'm getting there." Susan nodded and hugged the baby closer. Abby turned to look at her.

" I hope she's hungry soon," she said. Susan grinned and carefully shifted Lauren into her mother's arms.

"So, what are the Kovacs doing for Thanksgiving?" Susan asked.

"Maggie wants us to come to Minnesota," Abby replied. "We're thinking about it."

"Christmas?" Susan asked.

"She might be coming here," Abby sighed. She looked at Susan and shook her head.

"Yeah...I was hoping we could get together too."

"There's always New Year's..." Susan wheedled.

"New Year's..." Abby mused. "Isn't it amazing what can happen in a year? Last New Year's I was struggling with the whole idea of having a baby."

"And I was settling in a new job with a stay at home dad taking care of one child..." They looked at one another and laughed.

"Look at us now," Abby grinned. Susan looked back as her dad opened the sliding glass door and stepped outside.

"Anyone ready for birthday cake?" he asked. He crossed the small deck and stood next to Susan to watch what was happening in the yard. Susan slipped her arm around his waist and drew him close.

"Look at them, Dad," she said. "Quite a family, huh?" He nodded and smiled as he watched his grandson and granddaughter playing with the soccer ball as Luka and Chuck watched. Abby jostled a still sleeping Lauren.

"I think I need to try and wake her up to nurse for a bit," she said. 'I'll be right back." Susan nodded and watched her go inside. She looked up at the dimming evening sky and sighed happily. She looked at her dad and frowned slightly. There was something about his face.

"Dad?" she asked. He looked at her grimly.

"Susie..." he said slowly. "I've gotten a post card from Chloe."


	10. Chapter 10

Susan at the table staring at the post card in front of her. She drummed her fingers on the address book next to it and sighed. Chuck came in and stopped when he saw her back at the table. He frowned a little and went to the refrigerator. He took out the milk carton and carried it to the counter. Susan watched him silently as he took a glass from the cupboard and poured himself a glass of milk. He sat down at the table and put the glass in front of him. Their eyes met and held.

"Don't do this, Susan," he said finally. "You don't even know if she is still in Seattle."

"That's why I need to do it," she said.

"Who is it possibly going to help?"

"We've been through all of this, Chuck...several times."

"How can you do this to Susie? Are you willing to risk her happiness and security right now?"

"How will she feel down the road knowing that we knew where her mother was and didn't try to help her?"

"But you don't know where her mother is! And I don't think she really cares anyway. Her mother hasn't been there for her in a long time...if she ever was."

"Chloe is...still...her mother." Chuck shook his head and sighed heavily.

"It's wrong, babe," he said quietly. "Wait until Chloe comes to you... don't go after her."

"I'm not going after her," Susan said. "I just want to make sure she is all right."

"Well, I'm with your dad on this one...and Abby...and Luka...," he said. Susan nodded.

"I know you are," she said without looking at him. Chuck frowned sadly and then stood up. He picked up his glass of milk and looked at her for a long moment. He leaned over and kissed her cheek as he passed.

"I love you," he said before he left her alone in the kitchen. She sighed and turned the post card over and read it once again. Then she reached for the address book and flipped through it. She picked up her cell phone and dialed a number she hadn't called since the day they'd learned that Mark Greene had died.

Susan waited a moment as the phone rang. Her heart was beating wildly in her throat. Was she doing the right thing? Maybe Chuck was right. Maybe she should wait until Chloe contacted them. If she'd sent her dad a postcard, maybe Chloe was closer to contacting her.

"Hello," came a voice from the other end.

"Doug," Susan said. "It's Susan Lewis."

"Hey! Susan! How are you?" Susan grinned.

"I'm fine, Doug. You?"

"Great...great. Very busy though. We seem to be running a chauffeuring service here. Carol is picking Tess up from dance right now and I am almost on my way out the door with Katie and Mark for soccer practice. Hey, I just looked at my caller i.d. What the heck are you doing in...Iowa City?" Susan chuckled.

"Uh...well...let's just say that I'm another casualty of the 'Weaver Machine'. They wouldn't give me a tenured position so I left County... again."

"You're kidding," Doug was aghast.

"But, it's been a very good move, however," she said. "I love my job here."

"Aww...that's good. Me too." Susan ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath.

"Um...Doug," she said. "I need a favor." He listened as she told him quickly about Susie...and Chloe...and the postcard.

"I think she's in another rehab program in Seattle," she said. 'Is there anyway you can check for me?"

"I don't know, Susan." he said. "There are some pretty strict confidentiality rules in those places. You know that."

"That's why I'm calling you, Doug. Since when have you given a rat's behind about rules?" She smiled as she heard him chuckle on the other end.

"I don't want to contact her or anything. I just want to make sure she is all right." There was silence on the other end.

"I'll see what I can do," Doug said finally.

"Thanks, Doug," she said. "I'll let you go now. Give my love to Carol."

"I will, Susan," he said. "I will be in touch as soon as I find anything out, okay? And I want to talk longer so we can really catch up."

"Okay...me too," she said. "Bye." Susan ended the call and set her phone on the table. She took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that spilled out of the corners of her eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

She didn't hear from him again until after the holidays. Doug called with the information that Chloe had completed a 6 month rehab stay in a court mandated lock up center and had spent another four months in a halfway house. From there she had disappeared again.

"I wish I could give you more to go on, Susan," he'd apologized.

"You've given me more than we have had in five years," she said. "Now, tell me about things in your world." Doug had laughed and Susan could almost see the twinkle in his eye as he gushed on about life with the twins and his son. Carol had chosen to stay home with them but now that Mark was in school full time she was helping out occasionally at Doug's clinic. Just hearing his voice made Susan nostalgic for those earlier days in her career at County. They'd had quite a time together. And now Mark was gone and the rest of them had scattered to far corners of the...world...in Carter's case.

"Tell me what she's like," Doug said on the phone.

"Susie?" Susan laughed. "Nothing like Chloe, that's for sure. Bright, funny, creative...and **so** exasperating at times. On second thought, maybe she's a **lot** like Chloe." Doug chuckled.

"You think it's funny?" Susan said. "Why does everyone think it's so funny? She is twelve years old and she is taking physics, government, calculus, chemistry and something called 'international studies' in school. She is making wads of cash with a tutoring business that locks up my kitchen table three nights a week and do you want to know where she is right at this moment, Doug? Play rehearsal for a community theater group. She tagged along on a friend's audition and got a part herself. " Doug's chuckle changed to an outright laugh.

"And you're having a wonderful time with her," he said. Susan smiled.

"I am," she said softly. "I really, really am."

"And Cosmo?" Doug asked.

"He follows Susie around like a little puppy and, so far, she loves it."

"Ooooo...we need to get them together with my girls," he said. "They could use a lesson in how to deal with a little brother." Susan chuckled. They were both silent.

"Do you still miss him?" Susan asked finally.

"Yeah," Doug said softly.

"Me too," Susan said. "We got a Christmas card from Elizabeth though. Ella looks just like him."

"Mark would love that," Doug sighed happily. Susan grinned and glanced at her watch.

"I need to go pick my budding thespian up at rehearsal," she said. "Let's do this again, Doug. Soon, okay?"

"I promise, Susan," he said. 'Bye." She put the phone in it's base and pulled her sweater closer. It was amazing. Mark Greene was gone and yet had made in indelible imprint on everyone that he had worked with. That was definitely the mark of a good person.


	12. Chapter 12

The community theater play opening was a huge event for their family. Abby and Luka surprised Susie by driving in from Chicago for her opening nightperformance. Susan's Dad had flown in earlier to spend the entire weekend. Their house was crowded and noisy and delightfully homelike. Susie basked in the attention of all the people she loved...and that loved her. She convinced Cosmo that HE was Lauren's babysitter and needed to stay home to make sure Grandpa fed her correctly. Luka followed suit with a promise to pay him some **real **money if he did the job well. It was all too soon that Susie was off to the Opera House with Heather's family and Susan was holding her breath in anticipation.

The Opera House was packed and Susan sat on pins and needles through the first few scenes after the curtain rose. She held Chuck's hand tightly waiting for Susie's first appearance on the stage. There was the whistle, the slamming doors and then seven white sailor suits in a row...the third of which belonged to her niece. Susan grinned when she saw her and let her breath out slowly. Chuck squeezed her hand and she looked at him. They smiled at one another and then relaxed a bit to watch the show.

The lobby was crowded after the play was over and Susan, Chuck, Luka and Abby found a safe corner where they could wait for Susie.

"Dr. Lewis," Susan turned as she was approached by a man leading a woman toward her.

"Brad!" she exclaimed an hugged a friend from the hospital. "You know my husband, Chuck. And these are our friends from Chicago, Drs. Abby and Luka Kovac. Brad Jennings, head of vascular surgery at the hospital."

"Susie looked great up there on stage," he said with a smile and nodded toward them. Susan grinned.

"Yeah...and didn't miss a note either...I think," she laughed. He stepped back a bit to introduce his companion.

"This is the Honorable Judge Rebecca Morgan," he said formally. "She is a friend of mine and was inquiring about Susie. I think she'd like to meet her." At that moment Susie burst into the middle of the little circle and threw herself at Susan. She was still wearing her costume from the last scene and was covered with stage make up.

"Did you like it?" she asked as she looked up at her. Susan hugged her tight and grinned.

"You were wonderful!" she laughed. Susie smiled happily and hugged Chuck and then Abby. Luka handed her the bouquet of flowers he'd been holding and then picked her up in a huge hug.

"Thank you!" Susie said excitedly. "It was so much fun!" She buried her nose in the bouquet for a second and then handed it to Chuck to hold.

"Uh, Susie," Susan said as Heather approached them. "This is Judge Morgan. Judge Morgan, my niece, Susie Lewis." Susie smiled politely and held out her hand.

"I am so pleased to finally meet you, Susie," Judge Morgan said as she took her hand. "I have heard a lot about you from my friends at St. Alyosis. You were wonderful tonight." Susie smiled politely.

"Thank you," she said. Heather tugged on her shoulder and Susie looked at Susan.

"I have to go backstage and change. They need to put our costumes in order for tomorrow," she said. Susan nodded.

"We'll wait for you by the front door," she said as the girls raced off. "She's a little wired, I think." Judge Morgan watched her go and smiled at Susan.

"My daughters will be so pleased that I have actually met her. That child has reached folk lore status in our household, you know," she laughed. Susan frowned in confusion.

"How so?" she asked.

"My husband is on the Board of Directors at the school," she explained. "He has been sharing the letters and emails he and the other board members have been receiving from her regarding the required team sport policy." Susan's face blanched. Abby stepped back and bit her lips trying to hold back a laugh as she watched Susan's face. Luka looked away and rubbed his chin as he glanced over the crowd in the lobby. Chuck's eyes danced as he carefully reached over and took Susan's hand in his.

"Oh, don't worry, Dr. Lewis," Judge Morgan said with a smile. "My daughters are in college now but they had the very same issues at St. Alyosis. I am sorry to say that they didn't have Susie's spunk about doing something about it, though. Believe me, we are all rooting for her. It was very nice meeting you." She patted Susan's shoulder and stepped away to talk to someone else. Abby leaned in and laughed softly. Chuck touched Susan's head with his own and sighed. Luka turned around and grinned broadly.

"Oh, my god..." Susan murmured. "Would someone PLEASE show me how to dump the hard drive on her computer so I can find out what that child has been up to?"

The next morning Susie opened her lap top and looked around at the five adults gathered in the kitchen.

"What's going on?" she asked. Susan shrugged.

"Nothing," she said. "I just want to see what has been transpiring between you and the school's Board of Directors."

"It's my project for my government class," Susie said as she adjusted her glasses and ran her fingers through her curly hair. "I told you I had to do one."

"What happened to getting the stop sign on Wendall street?"

"Jessica's group is doing that and Eva and Robin's group are petitioning for a peanut free cafeteria. I forget what the other groups are working on." Susie's fingers flashed over the keyboard and the screen filled with files.

"Groups? Who is in your group?" Susie grimaced.

"Well...my group kind of fizzled when they saw all the work I had planned with surveys and stuff. So I went to Sister Mike and she said I could do it on my own."

"You have a Sister Mike?" Abby asked.

"It's actually Sister Michaela but she prefers Sister Mike. She is so cool," Susie said as she turned to her. "She's kind of like that nun in that way old movie with Rosalind Russell."

"I love that movie!" Abby chuckled. "The one where they take all the girls in to town to buy bras..."

"_Binders_," Susie corrected her with a grin. Abby laughed and then stopped when Susan frowned at her. Susie clicked the computer and opened a file.

"Here are all the letters that I have sent, the surveys I created and passed out, the calculations of the results...and a copy of the email telling me that I am on the agenda of the March school board meeting."

"What?" Susan exclaimed.

"The March school board meeting," Susie repeated. "It's right here...the date and the time. I was going to tell you about it...after the play was over." She looked up at the clock and then at Luka.

"I went on that soccer web site you sent me," she said. "Wanna see what I learned how to do?" Luka suppressed a grin and nodded. Susie looked at Susan.

"Are we finished here?" she asked. "I know they want to leave for Chicago and I have to be at the theater for the matinee soon." She looked across the table at her grandfather.

"You're coming to that one, right? With Aunt Susan and Cosmo?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he said with a wink. Susie looked at Susan who just nodded.

"I'll get my soccer ball!" she said as she raced off.

"She's so cute..." Luka said.

"Damn cute..." Chuck echoed. Abby snickered and Susan's dad laughed.

"You know...you guys are not helping me one little bit," Susan moaned. "Am I the only one that is terrified for her?"

"She's not afraid of anything," Abby shrugged. "Just enjoy it."

"Oh yeah...just wait till _your_ little one starts down this road," Susan said sarcastically. "I'll be _so_ sympathetic." Abby laughed.

"Ah...I'm afraid they broke the mold with Susie," she said. Susan shook her head and buried her face in her hands.


	13. Chapter 13

Susan glanced over at Susie and smiled slightly. She was frowning and going over the notes in her hand. Susan nudged her and Susie looked up. She took a deep breath and smiled. Susan winked at her and Susie stood up. She smoothed her plaid school skirt and straightened her shoulders in the blue school blazer. She walked up to the audience podium, put her notes down and adjusted the microphone for her height. Susan glanced around the packed room and was suddenly aware of all the people wearing the school uniform. Her eyes met those of Judge Morgan who stood against the wall across the room and the woman nodded with a smile. The judge nudged a tall girl standing next to her who smiled at Susan as well. The microphone whistled slightly and Susie tipped her head back a bit.

"Hello," she said quietly. "My name is Susan Elizabeth Lewis and I am a student at St. Alyosis. I am here to speak to you, our esteemed Board of Directors, about a requirement for our students that appears to be archaic and unfair. That requirement is that we are bound to participate in a competitive sport." Susan's chest swelled with pride as she watched and listened as Susie took charge of the meeting. Her speech was concise and precise. She had facts and figures. She had heart and soul. She had everyone in the palm of her hand.

"Thank you, Susie," Mr. Morgan, the Board President, said when she had finished. "I don't think that there is a Board member here who has not been impressed with your tenacity, your organizational skills and now, your poise, in speaking to us. Anyone that can bring my own daughters home from their colleges to attend a school board meeting gets a gold star in my book." A laugh rippled through the audience and Susan glanced over again to where Judge Morgan stood with her daughters. Something drew her eyes to the back of the room and her heart jumped to her throat. It was Chloe. She was standing by the door with her eyes riveted on Susie. Susan frowned and sat back in her seat. She swallowed and looked up at Mr. Morgan again.

"You have brought up some very valid points for us to consider," he was saying, "and we have considered them. As you pointed out, our goal for our girls should be to foster a life long love of fitness and exercise. You are also correct in stating that they may not be playing these sports after they leave school. I am happy to say that we are seriously considering changes within our program. Unfortunately those changes cannot be implemented for this school year. You mentioned that you have signed up to play a spring sport?" Susie nodded.

"Yes," she said. "I'm on the roster to play soccer but it won't be pretty. I still run like a duck." Susan grinned as another laugh filled the room. Mr. Morgan shook his head and laughed.

"Well, maybe next year you will be able to forego the competition aspect and try something else. We will definitely be looking at instituting some of the suggestions that you have given to us...as well as looking at the various survey results you have compiled which include our students' interests and desires." He sifted through the file of papers in front of him. He took his glasses off and smiled.

"Well done, Susan Elizabeth Lewis," he said. "Well done, indeed." The room exploded with applause - and cheers - as Susie turned and stepped away from the microphone. She was smiling happily as she made her way through the outstretched hands shaking hers and patting her on the back. Susan stood up and Susie stopped in front of her. Susie shrugged and Susan wrapped her arms around her in a hug. They both let out a huge sigh and Susan kissed the top of Susie's head. She glanced toward the back of the room and saw that Chloe was gone.

Chuck was waiting up for them, reading in the livingroom, when they got home. Susan blasted him a mile a minute as she chattered on and on about the meeting and what happened. Susan quietly put her things away and listened. She headed into the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Susan bounced in and hugged her.

"Thank you for coming with me tonight, Aunt Susan," she said. "Thank you for everything." Susan squeezed her tight and held her for a moment longer than she really needed to. Susie kissed her cheek and hurried off to bed. Susan opened her bottle of water and took a long drink. When she pulled the bottle away from her lips, she saw Chuck leaning against the door jamb watching her.

"Chloe was there," she said quietly. He nodded.

"She called for you just after you left tonight," he said. "I told her where you were."

"What did she want?"

"To talk to you." Susan nodded.

"Did she leave a telephone number or something?" Chuck nodded. He gestured toward the notepad on the kitchen counter. Susan picked it and looked at it for a long moment.

"I told her you would call when you got home tonight." Susan nodded.

"I will," she said. "I want to wait until Susie is asleep first."

"That might be a while. She's pretty keyed up." Susan looked at him pointedly.

"She can wait." Chuck sighed.

"Call her now and meet her somewhere. If she asks, I'll tell Susie that you were called in to work." Susan looked at him for a long moment and then picked up the cell phone on the counter.

Chloe was waiting for her when Susan entered the restaurant. She saw her immediately and waved. Susan made her way to the back booth and slipped into the seat facing her sister.

"My god, Chloe," she said as she studied her sister's face. "It's been five years. Where have you been?" Chloe shrugged.

"Here and there," she said.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I have for you."

"How could you just walk away from Joe? From Susie?" Chloe was silent for a long moment.

"She's beautiful, Sus," Chloe said softly.

"You have **no** idea how beautiful she is."

"She's smart too..." she said softly. "She always was smarter than me."

"Oh Chloe, you are pathetic. Don't turn this into a pity party for you. This is all about making choices. Your choices have always been at the expense of the people who love you."

"Love me?" Chloe said as she raised her eyebrows. "Not...loved?" Susan sighed and crammed her fists into the pocket of the sweater jacket she wore.

"You are the only sister I will ever have," she said. "Of course I love you." Chloe looked up at her and smiled a little.

"What is she like?" Chloe asked. "Is she a hellion?" Susan chuckled and sighed.

"Yes, she is," she said. "But not in the way that you mean." She hesitated and then opened her purse and took out a small photo album. She put it on the table and pushed it toward Chloe. Chloe opened it and blinked as she laughed softly. It was a picture of the technicolor hair, black garbed Susie from last summer.

"What was that all about?" Chloe asked as she traced Susie's face with her finger.

"I asked her about it this winter," Susan said. "It had something to do with trying to fit in with the high school kids she was attending summer school with. She didn't want them to think she was weird or... something...and after that she just wanted to make sure **we** would keep her no matter what she was like." Tears filled her eyes as she watched her sister's face while she flipped slowly through the book of pictures...Susie with Cosmo...Susie with Chuck...Susie with her...Susie and Heather in their play costumes... Susie in her school uniform...Susie balancing a detested soccer ball on her finger ...their family together...

"Can I keep this?" Chloe asked. Susan nodded.

"I put it together for you."

"Thanks." Chloe slipped the photo book into her bag. She looked up at Susan and sighed.

"What now, Chloe?" Susan asked. Chloe shrugged.

"Maybe back to Seattle...maybe Chicago. I have friends in San Diego. I lived there for a while," she said. Susan closed her eyes.

"Don't walk out of her life again," she said. Chloe blinked back tears and frowned.

"We don't...fit...together," she said. "She could never function in my world. She'd be the kid of an addict. I don't want that for her. And I can't make it in her world either. This is the best thing. She needs to be with you." Susan took a deep breath and then sighed.

"She needs..." she corrected herself, "...we both need you, Chloe."

"Naw...you don't need me, Susie," Chloe shook her head. " You always gave me more that I've ever given you. But I'm fixing that now." Chloe reached across the table and took Susan's hands in her own.

"You have the best thing I ever did. That's all you'll ever need from me." Susan sat still and gripped her sister's hands tightly in her own.

"Please come and see her," she said. Chloe shook her head.

"I wouldn't know what to say to her right now. I just wanted to make sure she was okay," she said. "Someday I will see her though. I promise." Chloe pulled her hands gently from Susan's.

"I won't disappear again," she said softly. "I promise you that too." She stood up and moved to the other side of the booth to hug Susan.

"I **will** call you...as soon as I am settled somewhere," she said. Susan choked back a sob and hugged Chloe close for a long moment.

"Take care of her," Chloe said as she turned and walked away. Susan watched her leave the quiet restaurant and sat quietly thinking for a long time. The waitress approached and Susan began to chuckle. She shook her head and opened her bag. Chloe had left her with her dinner bill.

The house was quiet when she got home. She locked the door behind her and went up the stairs. She flipped on the hall light and peeked into Susie's room. Susan smiled as she opened the door a little wider and stepped inside. Cosmo was sound asleep in Susie's bed with his fingers wrapped in her curly hair. Susan gently untangled his fingers and tucked his arm under the light quilt. Susie stirred and opened her eyes a bit.

"Was it a bad accident, Aunt Susan?" she murmured as she frowned in the light from the hall. Susan smiled softly.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, sweetie," she said.

"Okay," Susie yawned and closed her eyes. She wrapped a protective arm around Cosmo and slipped back to sleep. Susan leaned down and pressed a kiss to both of their cheeks. She smiled and turned out the hall light as she made her way to the master bedroom. Chuck was propped up on a pile of pillows on their bed with the television on. He'd obviously tried to wait up for her...unsuccessfully. Susan changed into a soft night gown and crawled under the covers next to Chuck. She smiled at him for a moment and then kissed him. Chuck came awake slowly and slipped his arm gently across her back holding her closer. Susan drew back and smiled. Chuck nodded and snuggled her against his shoulder.

"I take it things went well?" he said. Susan nodded.

"She's leaving again," she said. "But she promised to call when she is settled somewhere." Chuck frowned and looked at her.

"And Susie?" Susan looked at him and smiled.

"She's staying right here," she said. "But you already knew that." Chuck grinned and kissed her again.

"So what do you think? Cosmo and Susie...a preschooler and a teenager," Susan sighed. "Do you think we can survive this?" Chuck laughed.

"Oh...I think we'll have our hands pretty full," he said, "...and that's all we'll ever need, right?" Susan nestled up against him and sighed happily.

"Oh yeah..."


	14. Chapter 14

"My Mom was here?" Susie's brows furrowed as she looked at Susan in confusion.

"That's where I was last night," she said. "I met her so we could talk."

"She didn't want to talk to me?" Susan reached across the table and picked up one of her niece's hands.

"She doesn't know what to say to you just yet," she said. "But she promised me that she would stay in touch with us. She won't just disappear again."

"So...she is just going to leave me here?" Susan nodded. Susie thought for a moment and then shrugged.

"Okay," she said brightly. She squeezed Susan's hand quickly and then stood up.

"Is it all right if I go over to Heather's house? She has some more summer camp brochures to check out." Susan glanced at Chuck and then nodded. Susie bounced toward the door and then turned around.

"Um...Aunt Susan..." she said as she leaned against the door jamb. Susan looked up.

"You know how parents have to have a plan for their kids in case something happens to them?" Susan shook her head.

"Nothing is going to happen to us, sweetie."

"Oh, I know," Susie said quickly. "But what _would_ your plan be?" Susan looked at Chuck and shrugged. He raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

"Um...well," Susan said finally. "There's Grandpa...and Chuck's mother. But if you were old enough we would want you to be Cosmo's guardian." Susie nodded.

"And if Grandpa couldn't take care of you, I suppose we would ask Abby and Luka to do it." Susie smiled brightly.

"That's what I was hoping," she said. "I won't be too long at Heather's." She turned and left. Susan frowned at Chuck.

"That's it?" Susan said. "No reaction?"

"Don't go looking for problems, hon," Chuck warned her. "Let Susie deal with this in her own way."

"But do you think she really is dealing with it?" Susan asked him. Chuck stood up and shrugged.

"I don't know. She _did_ refer to us as her parents...sort of. That's something," he said. "You might want to tell Abby about this conversation though, before Susie starts emailing Luka with specific instructions about how she wants to be raised." Susan chuckled and rolled her eyes.

It was several hours later when Susan sat at their table with Heather's mother waiting for Susie and Heather to join them.

"I don't know about you, Beth," Susan said as she set her tea mug back on the table. "It makes me nervous to get a 'summons' to a meeting with Susie." Beth laughed.

"She has been so good for Heather," she said brightly. "She has really taught her how to organize herself." Susan laughed.

"Is that all?" She said. They both looked up as the girls entered the kitchen and sat at the table across from them. Susan exchanged looks with Beth. Susie straightened her glasses and Heather flipped her long dark hair over her shoulder.

"Aunt Susan," Susie said.

"Mom," Heather said at the same time. The girls looked at one another and Susie shrugged. She nodded at Heather.

"Susie and I would like to discuss what we want to do for our summer vacation." Susie slid a camp brochure across the table toward them.

"We want to go to camp together," Heather continued. "We've been looking for one that has the things we like to do and found this one."

"It's in Michigan," Susan said slowly as she read the brochure cover.

"Only five hours away," Susie said quickly. "Just on the other side of Chicago. And it's only for two weeks." Beth shook her head slowly.

"I don't know, honey," she said. 'You've never been that far away from home for that long - alone - before."

"I won't be alone," Heather said. "Susie will be there."

"And this camp has everything that we want," Susie explained. 'We've looked at dozens of them."

"I know you have," Beth said. "The brochures have been coming in our mailbox. But still..."

"Mom, this camp has a special diet allowances and a full time nursing staff. We made sure of that," Heather stated firmly. "I'll be okay."

"I still think you need to look into getting an insulin pump," Susie said to Heather.

"I told you, not until after summer," Heather said. "I like swimming too much." Susie shrugged and Susan bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"How much does this camp cost?" she asked as she cleared her throat.

"Well, we have half the money we need in our tutoring account," Susie said. "We just need to float a loan to cover the rest until we can pay you back...with interest, of course."

"Of course," Susan nodded. "I guess then, you aren't planning to go to summer school again?" Susie shook her head.

"I only went because I didn't have anything better to do," she said. "This summer I want to go to camp...and then there's the kids' play with the theater group. I want to audition for that." Heather nodded.

"And if we don't get a part we want to work backstage," she said. Susan's eyes were dancing as she took in the dismay on Beth's face.

"Um...well...you girls have presented your case very effectively," Susan said. "I just think we need to talk it over with Uncle Chuck and Heather's dad before we give you any kind of firm answer."

"But?" Susie tipped an eyebrow quizzically. Susan looked at Beth who shrugged.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," she said. Heather and Susie grinned and high fived one another. They stood up from the table and hurried out of the kitchen toward Heather's bedroom chattering excitedly. Beth shook her head and then looked at Susan.

"What just happened here?" she asked. Susan laughed.

"Prepare yourself," she said. "I think they are already talking about which colleges they want to attend." They both laughed softly and shook their heads.


	15. Chapter 15

Susan clutched her jacket closer about herself and shaded her eyes in the bright evening sun. The game was just starting. Good. She hadn't missed anything. She found her way to the bleachers by the field and looked for Cosmo. She smiled when she saw him sitting with Chuck and Heather. Chuck stood up and waved. Susan made her way to their seat and sat down.

"What did I miss?" she asked. "Where's Susie?" Chuck nodded toward the goal net where Susie stood scuffing her cleats in the grassy dirt. She had a goal tender shirt over her uniform, huge gloves on her hands and shin guards under her purple team knee socks.

"Well...she _looks_ good," Susan said worriedly. Chuck laughed and offered her some popcorn from the bag in his hand. She smiled as Cosmo climbed into her lap. Susan wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Can you see Susie?" she asked him. Cosmo nodded his head.

"Yay, Susie!" he yelled. Susan laughed.

They lost the game. The rest of the season didn't go much better but it was more fun than Susie had anticipated. The best thing about being a goalie was that she didn't have to run too far...and she was good at zoning in on the ball. She actually stopped more goals than she let in. Best of all was the comraderie of her team mates.

Spring waned and summer loomed. There were birthdays to be celebrated... Susie's 13th and Cosmo's 4th...the end of the school year...and summer vacation. Susie and Heather were both cast in the summer production of 'Hans Christian Andersen' and chattered away about their script and rehearsal schedules the entire 4 hour trip to camp. Susan and Beth listened to them from the front seat of the car and shook their heads. They were both bossy and opinionated and the very best of friends. Leaving them at camp had been difficult but it was a pleasant drive back to Iowa. They even made a quick stop in Chicago to see Susan's dad and Abby and Luka.

The house seemed so empty without Susie. Susan hadn't really anticipated that. They were all counting the days until the two weeks would be up. Susie had made a calender for Cosmo and every night before he went to bed he would cross off another day until her return. Susan was exhausted and seemed to be fighting the flu. Then she had another nagging thought...one that really caught her by surprise. She brought home a test kit from the hospital and tried it out.

She sat on the side of her bed and tapped her finger on the small plastic stick she held in her hand. Her mind was reeling. How could this have happened? Now of all times? She didn't move when Chuck came in the room and rummaged through a dresser drawer for a clean shirt.

"Hey, Sus," he said. 'I need to run to the hardware store. I'm going to take the Cosman with me. Gotta acclimate him to the guy things in life." He turned to look at her and frowned.

"What's up?" he asked. Wordlessly she handed the little stick to him.

"What's this?" His eyes widened a bit as he recognized the pregnancy test stick. He sat on the bed next to her when he read the blue lines.

"We're having a baby?"

"Apparently so." Susan sighed heavily. Chuck turned to her and smiled a little.

"We're having a baby..." Susan looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"How could this have happened?" Chuck smirked and then shrugged.

"Well...I seem to recall some good times and a few interesting posit...ow!" He groaned playfully as she punched him in the chest.

"We're not teenagers, Chuck," she said. "We're both in the medical profession, for cripes sake. A surprise pregnancy?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Susan," he said. "We are a happily married couple that enjoy each other... alot." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck. She stiffened.

"We can't afford this right now. And where are we going to put a baby? This is a three bedroom house." Chuck sighed. He sat straighter.

"We've always talked about finishing the basement sooner or later. We'll put a bedroom down there for Susie. She'll love having the privacy...and the rest of the basement for entertaining her friends. In fact," he grinned and nuzzled Susan's neck again, "we'll put _her_ in charge of the project so you know it will be done right...and cheaply." She began to relax and he drew her back on the bed beside him and kissed her.

"So do we know how far along you might be? Do I get the benefits of that really horny first trimester for very long?" Susan's laugh was cut short as Chuck kissed her and slipped his hands to her waist under her tee shirt. Neither of them noticed Cosmo until he was standing on their bed looking down at them.

"Hey!" he said as he bent down and rubbed Susan's head. "Daddy is buying me a hammer. My very own!" Chuck groaned and rolled over.

"We gotta work on his timing..." he said. Susan laughed and sat up as she straightened her tee shirt. Chuck stood up and pulled her up from the bed.

"Let's go get that hammer," she sighed. Chuck frowned.

"What? I like hardware stores," she said. He grinned and nuzzled her neck again as they crowded through the bedroom door together following Cosmo. Susan yelped and grabbed his hand as he pinched her behind.


	16. Chapter 16

The afternoon sun was hot as Susan sat on the front steps of the house and watched Cosmo. He was squatting on the cement driveway pulverizing small pebbles with his new hammer. His hair was standing up on all ends as it stuck out from the wrap around strap of the huge safety goggles he wore. He had on his favorite Thomas the Tank Engine tee shirt and jean shorts. There were five band aids on his tanned legs...three of which didn't cover anything at all. He just liked them. He was so intent on what he was doing. She smiled and thought about going inside for her camera.

"Hey Cos," she called. "Mom is going in to get some ice water. Would you like a juice or a popsicle?" He looked up and then shook his head before going back to 'work'. Susan chuckled and pulled herself up from the steps. She shifted her left shoulder and cringed a bit. That was a strange feeling. She must have twisted it somehow. Sheesh...Chuck and his 'interesting positions'. She opened the front door and stepped inside. They'd opened windows rather than turned the air conditioning on. She glanced around the pretty livingroom and smiled. She loved having a house. She looked at the clock and headed for the kitchen. She filled a glass with ice water from the refrigerator and shook her head. She was working the night shift in another 4 hours when Chuck came home. She hoped this nagging head ache would go away. Susan picked up the camera from the kitchen counter and carried her water back through the livingroom to the front door. She shook her head again and then...


	17. Chapter 17

Susan stirred in the hospital bed and Chuck stood up. He leaned over the safety rail and smiled grimly as he smoothed her hair from her forehead. Susan's eyes fluttered open and she tried to focus on his face.

"Hey there," Chuck said softly and leaned down to kiss her cheek gently. "You gave us quite a scare." Susan looked up at the IV pole and then lifted her hand to see where the tube ended.

"What happened?" she croaked and grimaced at her dry throat. Chuck reached for the cup of ice water and held it to her lips so she could take a sip with the straw. He put the cup back and then took her hand in his.

"It was an ectopic, Sus," he said. "...and it ruptured."

"I lost the baby?" she whispered.

"Yeah...we did," Chuck nodded. He kissed her hand and sighed.

"There's more," he said softly. "You lost a lot of blood, babe, and they couldn't stop the bleeding so..."

"A hysterectomy..." she sighed sadly. She squeezed her eyes shut and a tear rolled down the side of her face. She held tightly to Chuck's hand and he swallowed as he studied her face.

"It's okay, hon," he said softly. "It's okay." Still holding her hand, Chuck reached behind him and dragged his chair closer to the bed. He sat down and laced the fingers of both of his hands around her's. Susan opened her eyes and took a deep breath as her eyes met his. Chuck smiled wanly and then tears welled up in his own eyes.

"I almost lost you, Susan," he said softly and kissed her fingers. "I almost lost you." He pressed her fingers to his forehead and closed his eyes. Susan closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

She came awake with a start and her eyes opened wide as she suddenly remembered more.

"Where's Cosmo?" she asked. Chuck came to her side and squeezed her hand.

"Beth has him, honey," he said. "He's fine. In fact, he is more than fine." Chuck grinned as he rubbed his finger against her cheek.

"When he came inside and saw that you had fainted, he covered you up with the blanket from the couch and called 911. Can you believe that?" Susan closed her eyes and managed a smile.

"Pretty cool kid," Chuck nodded proudly. "And the other cool kid is on her way home from camp with Abby." Susan grimaced.

"Aw, she's coming home early?"

"I told her to stay but she wants to come home. Personally, I'll be glad to see her. I've missed her." Susan grimaced and stretched her neck uncomfortably against the bedding.

"Are you okay?" Chuck asked. "I'm supposed to let someone know if you need some more pain meds." Susan nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. Chuck reached over and pressed the nurse call button. Almost immediately the door opened and a nurse appeared with a syringe.

"It's about that time," she said calmly and inserted the needle into Susan's IV line.

"Thanks, Janie," Chuck said as Susan began to relax again. He sat back in the chair next to the bed and held onto Susan's hand.

"Remind me to thank people for the wonderful drugs," Susan murmured. Chuck grinned and relaxed himself. She was going to be fine.

Abby glanced into the rearview mirror of the car and smiled slightly at Heather's sleeping face in the back seat. She was leaning to the side as if she'd been watching Lauren asleep in her car seat. She looked over at Susie in the passenger side of the front seat. Her eyes were wide and she sat rigidly straight as she stared straight ahead.

"She's fine, Susie," Abby said softly. "Chuck told you that on the phone. He didn't even think you needed to come home from camp." Susie looked at her and nodded. She turned her head back to the road ahead.

"Why didn't they tell me?" she asked softly.

"About the baby?" Susie nodded.

"Well, she didn't tell me either," Abby said. "I don't think it was something that they even knew about for very long. I can't imagine Susan keeping it a secret. Not from us." Susie glanced over and smiled slightly.

"Yeah..." she sighed. She sighed and folded her arms tightly across her chest as a tear slipped down her cheek. She hiccuped and then cringed as more tears fell. Abby reached down and pulled a tissue from the small box they kept in the pocket of the driver's side door. She handed it to Susie. Abby drove in silence, her heart breaking for the young girl beside her, as Susie quietly sobbed.

"I was scared," Susie finally managed to say.

"I know," Abby replied softly.

"I can't lose Aunt Susan."

"You're not going to lose her, Susie. Not now. Not ever." Abby kept one hand on the wheel and reached over to squeeze Susie's hand with the other.

"She is always going to be a part of who you are. You know that." Susie nodded slowly and tightened her grip on Abby's hand. Abby smiled softly.

"Okay," she said brightly. "If I am going to be spending a couple of days with you, we need to get something straight." Susie looked at her with a worried frown on her face.

"Who is going to do the cooking? Because I don't cook." Susie giggled and shrugged and Abby smiled.

Susie opened the door to the hospital room and peeked inside. Chuck was asleep in the chair next to Susan's bed. She slipped in and shut the door carefully. She sidled up to Chuck's chair and rested her eyes on Susan, who was asleep in the bed. Susie nudged Chuck and he opened his eyes with a start. He blinked and looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey, kiddo..." he said softly. Chuck stood up and wrapped his arms around her in a close hug. "I'm glad you're home." He walked her to the side of the hospital bed and leaned down.

"Susan," he said softly. "Susie's here." Susan's eyes opened and she turned her head toward them.

"Hi," she said quietly and held up her arms. Susie's lips quivered and she pressed herself carefully into Susan's embrace.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you." Susan asked. "I'm sorry that you came home from camp early."

"Heather was homesick anyway," Susie said quietly. She straightened and held Susan's hand.

"Where's Abby?" Chuck asked.

"She's feeding Lauren in the family room." Susan squeezed Susie's hand. "Heather's there too. We came right here."

"I need to have you go home and be with Cosmo," she said. "Can you do that for me?" Susie nodded.

"I'm fine, sweetie, really," Susan said. Susie nodded again without smiling. Susan held up her arms and hugged her carefully again. She kissed her cheek and blinked back tears. "Thank you for coming home." Susie nodded and straightened. She turned to hug Chuck again and then smiled at them as she left the room.

"Cool kid," Chuck nodded as he sat down in the chair and reached for Susan's hand.

The front door of Heather's house flew open when Abby pulled the car into the driveway. She popped the back end and got out to help Heather with her camp luggage. Susie headed up the front walk and grinned as Cosmo came flying off the front porch. He was wearing just his Superman underwear and no shoes.

"Susie!" he hollered and jumped into her arms. Susie laughed and hugged him tight.

"You're a _real_ super hero, Cos!" she said. 'You called the paramedics all by yourself?" Cosmo's grip on her neck tightened and he wrapped his legs around her waist.

"Mommy wouldn't waked up," he said. "You weren't there."

"I know," she said. "But I'm home now and Mommy is okay. I just saw her at the hospital." Susie sat down on the porch and held him in her lap. Heather's mother came out the door and patted the top of Susie's head. She headed down the walk with a smile and hugged Heather.

"Come on in. Dinner is on the table," she said to Abby. Abby and Susie exchanged glances and grinned.

"Thanks, Beth," Abby laughed. "This could definitely work out."


	18. Chapter 18

Abby hugged Susan tight as they stood on the front porch of the house. She stepped back and smiled.

"Thank you, so much for coming, Abby," Susan said as she eased carefully into the rocker.

"You'd do the same for me," she said. "And I'd stay longer but I know that I am leaving you in good hands." She glanced at the front lawn where Susie and Heather were playing in the grass with Lauren. Cosmo was riding his tricycle up and down the driveway where Chuck and Luka stood next to the car talking. Abby nodded slowly.

"Nice life you have here, Dr. Lewis," Abby said with satisfaction. "A very nice life." Susan smiled as Abby went down the steps and onto the grassy lawn. Susie stood up and hugged Abby. She picked Lauren up as Abby hugged Heather and talked to them both for a moment. Susie laughed at something Abby said and handed the baby to her. Abby carried her to the car and Luka opened the back door so she could settle Lauren in her car seat. He shook hands with Chuck and then glanced toward the porch. Luka grinned and bounded up the walk to plant a kiss on Susan's cheek.

"Follow your doctor's orders," he said firmly as he shook a finger playfully at her. Susan laughed and winced as she shifted in the rocking chair.

"Oh, I intend to!" she smiled. Luka waved and headed back to the car. Abby was chasing Cosmo and finally nabbed him for a kiss. She hugged Chuck and then waved at Susan once again before sliding into the front seat and buckling her seat belt. Susie, Heather and Cosmo ran down to the road and waved as the car headed toward the main road from the subdivision. When it was gone, they hurried back to the lawn and Heather did a flip in the grass. Susan grimaced as Susie tried and landed on her behind. They laughed and just sat in the grass with Cosmo. Chuck carried the tricycle back up to the sidewalk and set it near the porch.

'You okay?" he asked as he climbed the steps toward her. Susan nodded and sighed as he sat in the chair next to her. Susan reached for his hand and kissed it before she laced her fingers through his. They sat quietly for a long moment.

"You know...this thing is going to work out for us," he finally said. Susan frowned and looked at him.

"Well..." he shrugged. "No more birth control worries. I mean, we can do it any time and anywhere without even thinking about it."

"You are pathetic," she groaned. "My incision isn't even healed yet and all you can think about is..." He grinned and leaned over to kiss her. Susan chuckled.

"No regrets about not having a baby girl?" he asked. Susan's eyes traveled to the front lawn and she slowly shook her head.

"I might have had some if I weren't so incredibly happy with the one we already have." Chuck nodded and sat back in his chair. A car pulled into their driveway and Susie and Cosmo ran to the porch.

"Heather's dad is here to take us to rehearsal," Susie said as she took Cosmo's hand and started back down the sidewalk with him. "We'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Susie, Chuck is here to watch Cosmo," Susan called. "You don't have to take him with you."

"What do you mean?" Susie cried in surprise. "He's in the play. He even has a line to say." She brought him back to the porch and stood him on the top step.

"Go on, Cos," Susie said. "Tell Mom what you have to say when the story teller walks off stage." Cosmo turned to Susan and took a deep breath.

"Hey! Wait for me!" he bellowed. Susan laughed and held out her arms for a hug. He smiled proudly and ran into her arms.

"That was great!" Susie said as Cosmo high fived her on his way back down the steps. Susan wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and waved as the car pulled out of the driveway.

"Abby was right," she sighed. 'We _do_ have a very nice life." Chuck grinned and laced his fingers through her hand again.


End file.
